The Diwan of Royal Court has issued a statement with the following text this morning:
“To the people of the beloved homeland in all its districts, to the Arab and Islamic nations and to the world at large. It is with hearts filled with faith in Allah and his Providence, and with great sorrow and deep sadness— yet with complete satisfaction and absolute submission to the will of the Almighty Allah, that the Diwan of Royal Court mourns His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, who passed away on Friday, the 14th of Jumada Al-Ula, the 10th of January 2020.”
The Diwan of the Royal Court has declared an official mourning period of three days with the flag flown at half-mast for the next forty days.
The Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, died at the age of 79 after almost five decades on the throne on 10 January 2020 without leaving a clear successor. Reports this morning state that the Royal Family Council has chosen his cousin Haitham bin Tariq Al Said to succeed him. The Royal Family Council consists of approximately 50 male members of the family and had three days to choose a successor to the throne. It appears they were all in agreement, as a new successor was chosen within a day. If they had not been able to reach an agreement, a sealed envelope with a name left by the late Sultan would have been opened and his choice would have been the successor.
